Volunteer
At the heart of the Archie Bray Foundation are our committed volunteers. Members from the community, residents and staff all pitch in to help make the Bray a better place. Our volunteers come from Helena, surrounding areas as far as Butte, Bozeman and Billings, and even some from around of the world. We are grateful for these special people who commit their time and energy volunteering at the Bray. Volunteer opportunities are endless at the Bray including special events, gardening, gallery attendants and much more. To join our special team of volunteers, please contact Brad Robinson at brad@archiebray.org or 406.443.3502 ext 10.
Volunteer Opportunities
Every year the Bray hosts a number of events that bring together members of the Bray community for fun and celebration.
The Mother’s Day Pots and Plants Sale
The Mother’s Day Pots and Plants Sale is held annually in partnership with West Mont Farm and Gardens, and takes place at the Bray the Saturday before Mother’s Day. This event is a fun-filled day of planted pots for sale, vases, flowers, wood-fired pizza, hand-painted raku bowls for kids, playing with clay and a petting zoo. The Mother’s Day sale is one of the most anticipated events of the year and is a great time for a volunteer to spend a fun-filled day at the Bray.
Annual Benefit Auction and Resident Artist Exhibition
This event attracts artists, collectors and life long supporters of the Bray from around the country. The Benefit Auction showcases the work of over 70 ceramic artists in our live, silent and cup auctions. The auction helps fund the residency program. The residency program at the Bray supports artists by offering rent-free studios, subsidized material and firing costs, as well as direct funding through fellowships and stipends. The Resident Artist Exhibition features the work of the more than 20 ceramic resident artists working at the Bray each year and is a wonderful time to meet them and see their work. Every summer an opening reception takes place in mid-June in the Bray’s Warehouse Gallery. The closing reception, live auction and Brickyard Bash, takes place on a Saturday in late-July. These events need volunteers for sales, serving beverages, taking care of parking and assisting with the auctions. This is the Bray’s biggest fundraiser of the year and could not happen without our volunteers!
Artist Receptions
Throughout the year the Bray hosts numerous Artist Receptions including two Fellowship Exhibitions, Resident Artist Exhibition, Beyond the Brickyard Exhibition, Community Class Exhibition, Holiday Exhibition and Sale and other exhibitions. Volunteer help is always welcome at any of these events.
Gallery Attendants
The Bray’s galleries are open for visitors to see and experience exciting ceramic art year round. Thanks to our volunteer Gallery Attendants we are able to keep the doors open seven days a week in the summer. The North Gallery houses the Bray Sales Gallery which carries the work of current and past resident artists, as well as a rotating exhibition space for shows ranging from Fellowship Exhibitions to the Bray’s call-for-entries exhibition. To become a Gallery Attendant, no experience is needed, training is provided and the benefits are endless.
Other Opportunities
The Bray’s facilities continue to evolve in order to meet the needs of artists, community members, staff and visitors. As these needs surface, we continually rely on our volunteers to help make the Bray a better place. We can always use help in areas such as the permanent collection, library, grounds and gardening, and overall facilities maintenance. If you see a need and would like to help, please let us know how you would like to volunteer.
